An Apple iPhone that costs under US$500 – and 4 other low-priced smartphones that are among the world’s 20 best
Today’s smartphones are more expensive than ever before.
While the priciest version of Apple’s newest iPhone would have started at US$770 in 2016, today’s top-of-the-line model costs from US$1,100.
Android alternatives are not much cheaper if you are looking at flagship smartphones from companies such as Samsung, LG and Google.
Samsung’s Galaxy S10 cost from US$900 when it debuted, for example, while Google’s Pixel 3 was priced at US$800 at the time of its launch.
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Yet that does not mean you need to pay close to US$1,000 to get a great smartphone.
If you do not mind sacrificing certain features and opting for an older model, there are several noteworthy options that will cost only about half the price of the US$1,000 iPhone XS, or even less.
Check out five devices we think are among the 20 best smartphones in the world that you can buy for US$500 or less.
Motorola Moto G7
Motorola’s Moto G line often makes you forget you are using a budget phone, and that is the case once again with the G7.
With the US$270 Moto G7, Motorola manages to offer pared-down versions of features typically found on more expensive smartphones, such as a dual-lens camera system and fast charging – for a fraction of the price.
Plus, it has a nearly edge-to-edge screen like many pricier alternatives, and a water-resistant design.
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Apple iPhone 7
Apple’s iPhone 7 may be nearly three years old, but it’s still a solid option for Apple devotees on a budget.
Now starting at US$450, the iPhone 7 offers a water-resistant design and a sharp screen in a much more compact (and cheaper) package than the company’s newest iPhones.
It runs on the same processor that powers the entry-level iPad, which is powerful enough for basic tasks such as web browsing and mobile gaming.
Razer Phone 2
The US$500 Razer Phone 2 is proof that you do not have to sacrifice powerful performance if you are shopping on a budget.
Designed with mobile gamers in mind, the Razer Phone 2 has a superfast screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is noticeably higher than that of your average smartphone display.
It also runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845 processor, which is now a little old, but is the same chip that powers previous generation flagships from companies such as Samsung. With 8GB of RAM, it has more memory than other alternatives, too.
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Samsung Galaxy S9
It is not the newest Samsung smartphone, but it is still among the best.
The US$500 Galaxy S9 sports Samsung’s colourful, curved, AMOLED – active matrix organic light emitting diode – screen and a high-quality camera that can adjust its aperture based on the lighting.
Like Samsung’s newer smartphones, the S9 also has the company’s Bixby virtual assistant built into the operating system and the camera.
Google Pixel 3a
Google’s answer to the industry’s shift toward higher smartphone prices is the Google Pixel 3a, a scaled-down version of its Pixel 3 flagship.
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Google sells two versions: a US$400 model with a 5.6-inch screen and a slightly larger one with a 6-inch screen for US$480.
Both phones retain many of the characteristics of the pricier Pixel 3, such as Google’s Night Sight feature for taking high-quality photos in the dark.
They both have an OLED screen, which generally produces better contrast than liquid-crystal display screens.
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- If you sacrifice some features and opt for an older phone, there are several great options that will cost about half the price of the US$1,000 iPhone XS – or even less